Stanley Ka Dabba - Wogma Readers Reviews

Stanley ka Dabba: Verrry Tasty
Stanley ka Dabba is the Taare Zameen Par without the Apologetic Nature of the movie. The movie doesn't make you feel sorry for a 'Different Kid'. It doesn't black mail you anywhere to cry. Its like a breath of fresh air (Excuse the Cliche please). If you have seen 'Children of Heaven' by Majid Majidi you are going to love this one. The movie is sweet, calm, light and makes a point without stressing too much on it. Its one of those movies where you can just go in the cinema hall, immerse yourself in without thinking too much. An absolute recommendation this weekend.

Full Review: http://gauravbatla.blogspot.com/2011/05/stanley-ka-dabba-verrry-tasty.html

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may be my expectations were a bit high after Taare Zameen Par .... i liked the story/screenplay despite the repeatedness but some how felt some thing left unfinished ... besides music i felt there was something amiss in direction as well ...

Watching this was similar to opening my own 'dabba' a few times: expecting something simple+yummy inside but finding something really so-so inside! I have no idea why Amole Gupte had to be so slapsticky. The plot (especially the tiffin-raiding teacher and his revenge) is pulled so much as to resemble a chewed-up-devoid-of-any-sweetness-piece-of-chewing-gum. It's so totally contrived. Except for a few warm scenes, it was not a very filling and satisfying dabba. Thankfully the child actor is not so artificially precocious that you want to slap the living daylights out of him/her. I have yet to understand why India cannot find really good child actors a la Joel Osment, Dakota Fanning, Justin Henry (Cramer vs Cramer) et al. The level of overacting they are made/encouraged to do (or are pardoned for doing it) is astonishing. But that's generally true of most acting. It's sad that natural and understated acting of stalwarts such as Balraj Sahni, Vikram Gokhale etc never caught on. Most Bollywood acting is (and has been) garishly overdone and the serials take it to their abysmal worst! Anyways... this child actor (and cohorts) were much better than the crop you see in most films and that was heartwarming. Maybe we're learning that artificially deep breathing and displays of face contortions in every imaginable ways and obnoxious close-ups of them is not really good acting. This may sound too broad-brushed but just venting years of hating bad acting in Bollywood movies. There are of-course some gems. One of the best acting scenes I have ever seen anywhere on earth is Sanjiv Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri during their wedding scene in Koshish. My god! They are both deaf and mute and have no idea what commotion is going on around them. She just takes it in visually and he's lost in his own thoughts. Amazing acting!

I am waiting for Chillar Party. No time to go the theaters to watch movies, so waiting for DVD. It's only late-night watchings for me. I have heard good things about it and read your review as well, so going to watch it.

Re. other actors, I haven't seen Kay Kay Menon but have watched Irrfan and like him. But unfortunately, I have yet to find any Bollywood actor that I like whatever they do. For example, if I think of Meryl Streep, I am sure watching her would be a learning experience, no matter what role and which movie. In Hollywood, she's the one that I just KNOW will be a joy to watch always. I have no comparable in Bollywood. Their memorable acting is always in context of some movie/role/scene, not consistent though. For example, I liked the Kamal Hassan scene in Sagar where she spills the news that she loves someone else while he's washing his face. The acting is so-so before he hears it but superb after the news. And it's really maddening... It's really maddening to see even good actors losing their bearings and not being consistent in one SCENE (forget one movie and FORGET their entire acting career!). If a Meryl Streep can do it (without being monotonous and predictable such as Jack Nicholson), is it too much to ask that of other fine actors too?

Watching this was similar to opening my own 'dabba' a few times: expecting something simple+yummy inside but finding something so-so inside! I have no idea why Amole Gupte had to be so slapsticky. The plot ( the tiffin-raiding teacher and his revenge) is pulled a lot as to resemble a chewed-up-devoid-of-any-sweetness-piece-of-chewing-gum. It is so contrived. Except for a few warm scenes, it was not a filling and satisfying dabba. Thankfully the kid actor is not so artificially precocious that you need to slap the living daylights out of him/her. I have yet to understand why India cannot find nice kid actors a la Joel Osment, Dakota Fanning, Justin Henry (Cramer vs Cramer) et al. The level of overacting they are made/encouraged to do (or are pardoned for doing it) is astonishing. But that is usually true of most acting. It is mournful that natural and understated acting of stalwarts such as Balraj Sahni, Vikram Gokhale etc seldom caught on.

I haven't seen Kay Kay Menon but have watched Irrfan and like him. But regrettably, I have yet to find any Bollywood actor that I am liking whatever they do. For example, if I think of Meryl Streep, I am sure watching her would be a learning experience, no matter what role and which film. In Hollywood, she is the that I KNOW will be a joy to watch always. I have no comparable in Bollywood. Their memorable acting is always in context of some movie/role/scene, not consistent though. For example, I liked the Kamal Hassan scene in Sagar where they spills the news that they loves somebody else while he is washing his face. The acting is so-so before they hears it but superb after the news. jogos online